Planning commission denies rezoning, billboard plan for 190 Ninth Street commerce center after residents urge limits on truck traffic

Gardner City planning commissioners on Monday recommended denial of a rezoning and related permits for the proposed “190 Ninth Commerce Center,” a commercial development planned along I‑35 at the northeast corner of 190th Street and Waverly Road.

The commission voted 5–1 to recommend denial of the CP‑3 rezoning and its associated preliminary development plan and preliminary plat, and separately recommended denial of a conditional use permit for four double‑stack, 45‑foot billboards proposed as part of the project. The votes follow staff recommendations that the proposal would create an origin or destination for commercial vehicle traffic in an area where the city’s policy restricts commercial cut‑through traffic.

Why it matters: Neighbors who live along 190th Street and Waverly Road said the proposal would increase heavy truck and auto traffic through a corridor the city has sought to keep free of through commercial trucks. Planning staff said the requested CP‑3 zoning and the proposed intensity of uses do not…